
I 

i 



ROBERTA 

HARRISS 
WHITING 




ROSE PETALS 



BY 



ROBERTA HARRISS WHITING 




BROADWAY PUBLISHING COMPANY 

835 Broadway, New York 



rt- 






COPYRIGHT, 1914, 
BY 

Roberta Harbiss Whiting 



UiANSr£RKEO FFTOi; 



MAR 2U 1bi2 



z^' 



NOV -6 1914 



V 



ROSE PETALS 



IRTUE acteth like a rose, 

Their petals purity, thus unclose. 



OH YE ROSES! 

OH ! ye roses, how I love you! 
And the life your blooms impart! 
How you weep whene'er I touch you 
Heaven's tears from out your heart! 

And you turn me too, — to weeping, 
With your faint and fragrant breath, 
Stirring thoughts within me sleeping, 
With a silence like to death I 

Opening wide the guarded portal 
Where white Memory spreads her wing 
Gathering up the flowers immortal 
That around Life's sorrows cling. 

-5- 



^Hir^^-r, 



ROSE PETALS 



AGUE memories, like the faint fra- 
grance of roses — 
Sweet souls of flowers. 



V 



PETALS, petals, they are falling, 
And the sweetness of the rose 
I have crushed here near my heart, dear, 
Let its secret here repose. 



INFLUENCE upon character depends 
upon the subtle charm of a subcon- 
scious will; the latent power of higher ener- 
getic philanthropy, making plain the need 
and comfort of the soul to be guided to a 
loftier realm thro' great ambition. 



-6- 



ROSE PETALS 



DAWN 



'T^HERE is joy again when the sun doth 



-■- rise, 



To wash the bloom from the summer skies, 
Of blended colors and morning glow, 
As the golden heart of the new day cries. 

Far away and sweetly the meadow lark 

sings, 
And fills with ecstasy the tinted air 
Of early dawn and life's new hope 
Sunny fields— soft blooms everywhere. 



EOSE PETALS 



SPRING 

gURNISH your glistening petals! 

Lift up your drowsy heads ! 
Wear your gowns of pink and gold! 
Tis Spring and the daffodil weds! 

She weds with blossoms blowing, 
When soft winds sweep our nests, 

When violets come to greet you 
With bluebells, too, our guests. 

And when the sun shines brightly 
The dewdrops dance with glee ! 

Make haste your weddings merry; 
Come, skip away with me 

To lands of golden sunshine ! 

To green things at our feet, 
Spring has fair wedding parties 

With blossoms frail and sweet. 



-8- 



ROSE PETALS 



IVJ'USIC o'er the waters, a tinkling foun- 
■^^■^ tain — In My Lady's Bower 
There are roses, roses — they complete the 
hour. 



T ILIES sweet and snowy white, 
^-^ Roses droop within a night. 
Faint the odors that will cling 
And sad memories always bring. 



A DROP of dew in a rose cup, 
-^^ Fell from its resting place, 
And kissed my lady spring time, 
And painted pink her face. 



"XT IRTUE, like the dew on lilies and roses, 
^ shineth always brighter through the 
eyes and soul of a beautiful woman. 



ilOSE PETALS 



LINCOLN'S LOVE 

HE loved her, a fair young blossom, 
Youth's tender heart knelt at love's 
shrine. 
And kissed the dews of the coming dawn, 
And enfolded the petals of his heart, 
In her sweet secret keeping, 
In a rose that did not fade. 
But growing brighter in its glowing hue, 
From this sweet boundary, 
A golden radiance did light his soul. 
To all eternity, 

And spread the wing of burning fame above 
His noble life. 



.10- 



ROSE PETALS 



"O EFINED thoughts like cultivated flow- 
■^^ ers throw their sweetness thro' rari- 
fied atmosphere touching lightly the golden 
chords of harmony in the human soul and 
breathing melody to soften the discords of 
the world. 



TTOLD fast to Truth, and Honor will fol- 
^■*- low; thus Liberty will shov/er thy 
footsteps with rose petals of success. 



-11- 






ROSE PETALS 



LOVE AND MUSIC 

TN rhapsody the golden keys of light 
-'' Stirred the soul of mortal lure, 
The calm of echoing music 
In life's harmony the treasure was sure. 

Then love touched the threads of beauty 
That were woven in wisps of light, 

They thrilled with sym.pathy the silken 
cords 
O'er the bright silver waters of night. 



-12- 



ROSE PETALS 
A SUMMER FLIRTATION 

PAIR Summer held her festival of golden 

■*- yellow hues, 

The skies, too, lent their glory in cobalt and 
azure blues, 

She was also decked with topaz, and dazzled 
in the sun. 

Waving her fleecy laurels, thinking her bat- 
tle won. 

But alas! old Autumn near her gave signals 
in disguise, 

"I'll be surprised if you stay here," said Au- 
tumn very wise, 

"For I've prepared my wardrobe with its 
richest garments rare ; 

The summer that you boast of Autumn will 
surely share. 

Then Summer threw her cloak of gold over 

her shoulders white, 
And the lilies all about her gave perfume to 

the night. 
She gazed with satisfaction in the mirrored 

Garden of Dreams 
And sighed as she thought of Autumn with 

his trail of golden beams. 
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ROSE PETALS 

"Ah! I'm the Queen of Seasons, with a 

wealth of gems and flowers, 
The beauty of my garden fills the world 

with happy hours. 
The treasures from my storehouse were 

kissed by the golden sun, 
You may take them," said fair Summer, 

"I've made them every one." 

So near the door of her garden, clothed in 

a gown of light, 
She wooed old Autumn onward, with her 

gems so pure and bright; 
The winds of Fall fell softly on this Maid of 

summer clime. 
And Autumn's breezes cooing heralded the 

Winter-time. 



So closing her doors of azure, opal, and daz- 
zling fire, 

She bade farewell to Autumn with his wild 
and strange desire. 

She would not marry Autumn, with his 
great and greedy heart, 

And give him all her treasures and her won- 
ders in fine art. 
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ROSE PETALS 



THE thriving heart can not feed upon 
the fallen leaves of dead love. 



-15- 



PwOSE PETALS 



MEMORIES 

f\ WITCHERY, the charm and the breath 
^^ of you ! 

And the soft sweet soul in the heart of you ! 
The love I would give you, rose of mine ! ^ 
With your wealth of pure gold and Love Di- 
vine! 

your wild influence, you soft-petaled 

thing ! 
Life that is in you with message of Spring! 

1 love you! I take you; and press you, my 

heart. 
With soft-bosomed petals, my rose thou art ! 

Yet here on my desk you are drenched with 

tears. 
The hallowed memories dying with years; 
Yet in you fresh youth once stirred with the 

soul! 
memories; memories! Love that is old! 



-16- 



ROSE PETALS 



THE winds were so sweet and soft, love, 
that I dreamed an angel fanned her 
wings and breathed o'er my face. And as 
she swept away through clouds of ethereal 
beauty, she threw from her arms roses so 
sweet with the pure love of Heaven that 
they stirred the inmost senses of my soul; 
and now I awake and find this Paradise all 
true. And "ah!" she sighed, "may it please 
God that Eternity may be all Love." 



-17- 



ROSE PETALS 

PHYLLIS 

THE air is aglow with sunshine; the air 
is a- tilt with birds; 
My heart is glad with singing; my soul is 

happy with words. 
The blossoms are sweet and falling; and the 

girl in her pale pink gown; 
My heart is happy with singing; for Phyllis 
is here in town! 

rosebud blush that is creeping o'er the 

youth of a lover's pride! 
heart, that in love is sleeping ! bright, 

glowing, glad Spring-tide ! 
The blossoms are sweet and falling on the 

girl in her pale pink gown; 
My heart is happy with singing; for Phyllis 

is here in town ! 

Her face all sunshine and flowers; her eyes 
so bonny and true. 

To beckon the blythe of her heart, dear, un- 
der her skies of blue. 

But ah ! dear heart, how I love her ! a blos- 
som in her pale pink gown ! 

My heart is aglow and glad, dear; for Phyl- 
lis is here in town! 
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ROSE PETALS 



VT" OU blushed last night when the petals 
■*■ were falling, 

As you crushed the sweet roses I sent to 
you. 

They brought back to us dear memories, re- 
calling 

Our love-time — youth-time, as pure as their 
dew. 



-19- 



ROSE PETALS 



SPRING MAIDS 

l/'IOLETS, gowned in palest hue, 
^ Trimmed with royal purple blue, 
Bedecked themselves in filmy light; 
Bloomed from early dawn till night 

They promised April to do their best; 
And help him earn a summer's rest 
By sending perfume o'er the earth, 
Giving it a glad, new birth. 

The crocus, in her yellow gown, 
Wore a hat so large and round. 
To star the Winter's bare, brown sod 
To help the trav'lers' weary plod. 

The jonquil, too, with slender stem, 
In faith and truth she promised them 
In wondrous beauty to softly blow 
O'er the Earth so green below. 

The tender pinks of field and lawn 
Were filled with Life, and then were born. 
And shed their blossoms in the air. 
Wafting perfume everywhere. 

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ROSE PETALS 



The dazzling white of many trees, 
Wearing gowns of light and breeze, 
Are showering down to April fair 
Blossoms — perfume everywhere. 

Old April has a secret, too, 
Filling all the world anew 
With Life's wonders and her charms 
Smallest thoughts are Life's alarms. 

He's busy getting ready, too, 

For a wedding under blue, 

Where all the bridesmaids, pink and white, 

Toss their heads in sweet delight. 

For dear old April, don't you see. 
Marries himself in ecstacy 
To a June rose, fair and sweet, 
Showering petals at his feet. 

And her sweet perfume thrilled his soul 
With the Love we call the old; 
But April makes anew each year 
Plighted troth with brides so dear. 



-21- 



KOSE PETALS 



TIME holds her golden bowl of opportu- 
nities, and fills to its bubbling brim 
sparkling waters of intellect and fathomless 
depths of unsearched treasure. 

In the chalice of her train, golden light. 
Time and Eternity help us to turn into the 
Divine knowledge that no man can hold 
Time — but while we have Time we can all 
make good, not evil, of its golden moments. 



.22- 



ROSE PETALS 

THE VOICE OF THE SOUL 

'"p HY voice like an echo when moonlight 
^ is pale, 
And Earth's greatest progress seems one 

lonely vale. 
The years pass in silence; the nights seem 

so long 
To the conquered and vanquished, the soul's 

lost song. 



With lure of the old love, with memory's de- 
cay, 

With burning of Life's fire and dawn of the 
day. 

In dreams of the past bringing warmth to 
the soul 

Lost is Life's passion in its colorless mould. 



I've thrown off the garment that fettered 

and clung 
To soul of mortal that with Life had begun 
Its battle for the right and justice and peace 
The wild hope and yearning that would give 

release. 

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ROSE PETALS 

Life's golden memories are crumbling to 

dust 
And years of sorrow, yet follow them I must 
To gates of a Paradise far o'er the skies; 
There Life shall find Life again — thus my 

soul cries ! 



^npHE sure dawn came tripping down the 
-*- early pathway ; far away she left her 
doors ajar, and the light of day came creep- 
ing thro'. 

The little fairy, Dawn, was decked in sil- 
very, filmy wisps of gauze, and dewdrops 
clung about her little form, and fired and 
dazzled in the sunlight. 

She stopped and filled her cup of gladness 
with morning dew, and fanned he^ magic 
wings o'er a sleeping Youth, bathing his 
brow with love and feeding his soul with 
hope. 



-24. 



ROSE PETALS 



THE SOUL KISS 

17 AR, far into the darkening night 
^ I feel thy sweet warm breath and kiss, 
And feel thy soul's communing love. 
Can Life be just a dream of this? 

I hear thy call when the dewy hours 
Are beckoning on another day; 

Awakened then from dreaming sleep — 
Behold thy soul has flown away! 



-25- 



ROSE PETALS 



V^HAT are the joys of friendship? Let 
^^ me see. 

The wide expanse of country and of sea 
Could not compass one sweet hour without 

thee. 
Ah ! just a quiet hour with one we love ; 
With sympathizing souls; the world and 

skies above 
Could not break those ties we trust; 
The sweet quiet joys and confidences with a 

friend. 



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ROSE PETALS 



SOMEWHERE there is hidden in this 
world of tears 
Some smile for the weary and hope in the 
years, 
Some gladness given, some kindness done 
In Life's vast storehouse, some day dream 

won 
To beckon its golden promise on, 
Some hour of pleasure where hope is born. 



POUR from ethereal urns drops of cold 
dew upon the hearts of fragrant lil- 
lies and there steals a sweetness even of 
heaven. 



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KOSE PETALS 



THE LONELY CHILD 

npHE waning moon shone wonderfully 

bright 
On the beautiful child that lonely night, 
And all that the sad little lips could say 
Was: "I want to go with Mother to stay." 

As the sad sweet eyes looked up to Heaven 
A wonderful prayer to the child was given, 
For ere the cool dawn o'er the Eastern skies 
The little one fled to the lullabys 

Of a Heavenly Choir; and a glad warm 

breast 
Of Mother, with Mother only to rest. 
As a beautiful chorus of angels sing 
With Mothei- and Child 'neath the Heavenly 

wing. 



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ROSE PETx\LS 

MEMORY 
npHERE in solemn beauty bright tears, 
■^ drops like pearls of precious store, 
lay unmindful upon the satin cheek of one I 
loved; and lo! in after years, when glisten- 
ing dew on late September flowers heralded 
the fast depai-ting hours, I only thought of 
you. 



H ! the summer days are over, 
And the clouds are drifting low, 

And the fields that were in clover 
They have lost their wealth and glow. 



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ROSE PETALS 



SLEEP 



np HE bright westering sun falls in mel- 
-■■ low light o'er all the landscape, 
Rest you weary one, and in sweet content- 
ment, 
Let thy thoughts stray in yonder meadow 
And drink the sure narcotic of fair lotus 

land. 
Let all the world sleep in one quiet nook, 
And let the sweet sense of lulling lullaby 
Charm the magic power of sleep. 
Rest, you weary one, and let no shadow 

come 
To mar this pure quiet happiness. 
Let the voice of many whirring wheels 
Be in tune with the song of some sweet sing- 
ing bird 
Softly singing the evening vespers; 
A vast, mysterious, holy power, 
A quiet, restful sleep, 
A sweet sense of dewy night, 
With a sure hope of returning day. 



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KOSE PETALS 



ROSE PETALS 

FOR 

CHILDHOOD 



jff^:-'^?. 



KOSE PETALS 



YOUTH 



COME with me to the land of lilac, 
To the land of sweet summer time; 
Come with me to the land of blossoms, 
Dwell with me in the sweet June time. 

Come with me to the land of fairies. 
Where bright dreams are always true, 

Spun with gold and wisps of pleasure, 
Where the skies are always blue. / 

come with me, my boy, my treasure, 

To the land where dreamers go, 
And the ships of joy and pleasure | 

Gently rock you to and fro. ) 

Come with me, joy, youth- time. 
Where fair lilies gently blow, . 

p.^ Come with me, joy, youth-time, 

^ Buds to blossoms often grow. 



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ROSE PETALS 



TO ELIZABETH 

r\ LITTLE peach blossom, were you 
^^ blown this way, 

Or were you pillowed on a cloud of night? 
Or were you left here by the angels to stay, 

A treasure of sweet Love and Light? 

Your eyes, too, they mirror the Heavenly 
skies ! 
Your dear little mouth with a rosebud 
hue; 
Your dimples were given to help my souFs 
loving 
For baby, my baby, just you I 



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ROSE PETALS 



Y 



BABYHOOD 

OU sweet little flower of Youth! 
You beautiful thing! 
Your footsteps tread in magic paths 
Sweet blossom of Spring! 

You stand on tiptoe and you peep 

O'er the garden wall, 
Where poppies there as red as your cheek 

Beckon and nod, and call. 

Come, little boy, to this fair world, 
Where slumberous poppies grow, 

Your fair little head with golden curls 
Nod to the lilies that blow. 

You stand 'midst buds and roses too, 
Your eyes so bright and brown. 

This wonderful world is good and true 
Where Youth and love are found. 



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B 



ROSE PETALS 
LULLABY 

LOWING winds, blowing o'er the South 
summer sea, 
Bringing your kisses to baby and me 
Far away out on the Rockaby Land 
There's a dear one waiting for us, my man. 

Watch the kindly ship as it tugs along 
To a fair haven and love that is strong; 
So blowing winds blowing bring back to me 
The happiest joy that can ever be ! 

To a loving wife and a cooing babe 
We hope the voyage is safe o'er the wave ; 
So blowing winds blowing bring back to me 
The happiest joy that can ever be ! 

Far out o'er the ocean the breezes blow, 
Little Boy, the ship is making the shore; 
So blowing winds blowing bring back to me 
The happiest joy that can ever be ! 

To Mother and Babe and Home that is best 
The Captain of the waves always finds rest ; 
So blowing winds blowing bring back to me 
The happiest joy that can ever be! 

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ROSE PETALS 

FAIRIES 

T WOULD not care so much for life if I 
^ did not see 

Some dainty little fairy peeking up at me 
From some darling buttercup or rosebud 

fair. 
Did you know that fairies whispered from 

the flowers everywhere ? 

I would not care so much for joy if I did not 

know 
That every little girl and boy could tell you 

where they grow. 
Are they in the blooming meadow grass, or 

by some willowy brook; 
Are they with me when I sleep and dream, 

or in some fairy book? 

sweet child life! When the sunbeams 
play with you, 

You will find the sweeter joys under skies 
of blue. 

Sometimes though the fairies cry — the dew- 
drops are their tears, 

But they have always smiled through sun- 
beams many happy years. 
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ROSE PETALS 

And all the time I've wondered just who the 

fairies were; 
Sometimes I could almost see them and hear 

them gently stir, 
Somehow, though, when clouds were dark, 

and winds swept by their beds, 
I could not find a single one; they hid their 

little heads. 

But I have talked to fairies until I'm sure I 

know 
What makes them come with sunshine, and 

when the flowers blow. 
I can almost see them laughing as they 

romp and play with me. 
The fairies are glad sunbeams; that's the 

secret, don't you see? 



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ROSE PETALS 
THE LITTLE TOY HORSE 

THE little toy horse was laid away 
On the shelf near the dark attic stair, 
With trains and wagons that used to stay 
Always near his own Mother's chair. 

Ah ! the dust and silence of many years 

And the httle toy horse still sleeps on; 
And the tin soldiers bow their heads with 

tears 
And the drum is all tattered and torn. 

Till alas ! one time a sunbeam creeps 

In the attic of forgotten days, 
And lo ! the soldiers were not asleep, 

And the toy horse was on the highways. 

To bring to sweet childhood's happy dreams 
And awaken in a great man's breast 

The dearest, the nearest always seems 
To him. Home sweet Home, is the best. 

The little toy horse lifted his head 

As the great man stroked his proud mane. 
And tears fell from the dreams he thought 

dead. 
But were brought back to life just the 
same. 

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ROSE PETALS 



BOY 

THE grass so cool and the rippling brook 
And the lazy drone of the honey bee, 
And all the skies of azure blue 
Are filled with hopes that I can see. 

To command a ship on the far away wave 

I would help a Nation's cry, 
And send the cheer to thousands brave, 

And never mope or sigh. 

But, alas, I am only a boy yet. 
With a wealth of hopes laid by, 

And most of the dreams are treasures lost 
'Neath a sweet and azure sky. 



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ROSE PETALS 



MY TRUST 

V\7ITH0UT you for my hope my heart it 
^^ would break, 
Without the love that you give me my soul 

you could take, 
And scatter its perfume to the winds and 

the wild, 
Be forever my trust, my own beautiful 

child. 

Without your eyes to look on me with the 
warmth from your heart. 

Without your lips that would woo me, with 
your love to impart, 

A blessing, a mission forever thou art; 

A wondrous beauty to come to my heart. 

Without you in this life, my life it would 

seem 
As a ruinous part that is woven of dreams; 
So give me the hope and the glad bright 

gleams 
To love and to be loved forever it seems. 



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ROSE PETALS 



npRUTH searcheth the eyes of Wisdom, 
-*■ finding always that to gain knowl- 
edge, to be loved, to be honored, to be pure, 
or to be noble, or worthy of establishing any 
great and imperishable structure, or to soar 
to the heights of ambition, we must first 
learn that there is but one way, and that by 
the honored pathway called "Truth." 



-42- 



H 

ROSE PETALS 

HERALDS OF EASTER-TIDE 

T PLANTED by my garden gate, 
^ Just near our shaded bowers, 
Some lowly little violets dear, 

Such sweet and tender flowers. 
Then Winter's rain and glist'ning ice 

And bright and frosty snow 
Kept spreading o'er our landscape drear 

And my flowers could not blow. 

Until one day, in meekness sweet, 

From softest zephyrs near 
My window there came a perfume 

From my violets so dear. 
With sweet remembrance then I stole 

Out to the quiet bower 
Where, in all their modest beauty, 

They were blooming every hour. 

Lo, dead and half forgotten there. 

So lowly in their beds. 
They heralded glad Easter-tide 

And lifted up their heads. 

And on the Resurrection Morn, 
When all things are made new, 

We'll breathe the soul and perfume 
From the tender violets blue. 
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ROSE PETALS 
THE CHRISTMAS STAR 

r\ WEARY world, weary world 
^^ Lift up your hearts and sing 
Fill all the air with joyous song 
To-night is born a King ! 

weary world, weary world, 
With footsteps rough and sore, 

With eyes so dim and falling tear 
With heads now bending low. 

weary world, weary world, 
The light is drawing near. 

And all the weak and lowly sing, 
soul, thou dost not fear. 

glorious world, glorious world, 
The Heavenly host doth sing 

The Star that led the Shepherds on, 
Where Christ was born a King. 

glorious world, glorious world, 

Let sorrows flee away. 
Let every soul and every heart 

Be glad on Christ's Birthday. 

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ROSE PETALS 
THE CHRIST CHILD WITH US 

BEHOLD the angels of God, 
With wings of holy light, 
Playing their harps all golden. 
Starring the skies of night. 

And angels of glad tidings 

Are singing from afar. 
The dear Christ Child is with us 

From the east glows the star. 

0, go ye, weary traveler 
And rest beneath its light; 

Go kneel thou there and worship 
On this glad Holy Night. 

Let all hearts glow with gladness ! 

Let Peace reign on the Earth ! 
All hail the Day He cometh ! 

All hail the Savior's birth ! 

Sing ye; Sing ye, glad angels, 
The Heavenly host above 

The dear Christ Child is with us, 
And all the world is Love. 

-45- 



r^'^'^^'^'^r^.y^ 



ROSE PETALS 



/^H, sweetheart, do you remember the 
^^ balmy summer night when first we 
met? You were young and full of life and 
hope. I can see you now, and memory 
dwells lovingly on the picture, you were so 
young and happy and free. How my soul 
yearned and mine eyes pleaded love as you 
stood and played those sweet low strains on 
your violin. Do you remember, love, the 
sweet messages, the tender tokens of love 
when you left for school? I missed you 
then as I have every hour of my life since. 
And do you remember, love, the wonderful 
summer nights, how the world seemed, all 
made for us, and the lawn at that dear old 
country place ; how the moon shown on our 
young hopeful hearts; and how we strolled 
and talked, oblivious of all crowds about us? 
Ah moonlight, love, heaven, how soon did 
it end, and Ah! the waiting? 



-46- 



T 



ROSE PETALS 
REVERIE 



HE morning of Life held out its fairest 
flowers. Youth drank from the 
depths of the lily cups the cold sparkling 
dews of joy. Youth is sweet; and mingled 
with Love, it merges into a bright haze, 
Avhere Spring sings a lullaby, the buds burst 
with fragrance, and all the land is young. 

Youth looked yearningly into my eyes, 
and the blue of Heaven reflected there 
thrilled my soul with pleasure. Youth stood 
in a beautiful spring garden all around, and 
away in the distance the buds were opening 
to the sun. The haze was lifting its blue 
veil, revealing a brilliant landscape. Into 
Youth's young hands I put my soft throb- 
bing palms, and we walked silently across 
the meadows and up the sloping lawn to a 
grand old mansion that stood out in the 
morning glow. We lingered near the wide 
flights, and there in the misty morning 
glow. Youth begged for a union of hearts 
and my heart was stirred. 

Autumn dwelt in the noisy city. His 
locks were tawny, his eyes had a deep burn- 

-47. 



ROSE PETALS 



ing gaze. He begged me to leave Youth and 
go with him into the distant haze of the city. 
In the Indian summer of his Autumn time 
I yielded, and put my little hands in his and 
walked resignedly by his side. The Autumn 
glowed red and yellow; then the cloud winds 
swept the lands; and seared and dying was 
Autumn time. 

Again I walked up the broad flights of the 
home of Youth. The silence of the hall filled 
my soul with grief. I could not find the com- 
panion of the morning hours. Had he, too, 
mingled with the haze, and faded and sank 
in the depths of the forest? 

I could not find Youth; my heart cried 
out. I longed for a sight of the soft young 
smile that did not vanish with the sweet 
warm rays of the morning sun; the smile 
that lingered like the odors of min- 
gling blossoms and like music of many 
golden throated birds. All was Spring, all 
was blossoms, and it was not the Autumn 
time. Again I could not find Youth. Alas ! 
from the blazing mingling haze of the red 
and yellow forest Youth emerged. There 
was a cover of spun gold on his head, and 
the pink of the rose on his rounded cheek, 

-48- 



ROSE PETALS 

and the fire of the Heavenly stars in his 
deep blue eyes. 

My heart once more rejoiced, my soul 
burned with pleasure — and — alas ! again ht 
was not Youth; he had grown tawny witli 
age; his locks were bronze and heavy, and 
even again it was Autumn time. 

My hands were placed in his, and his gazv 
was burned into my soul, and from this vi- 
sion I heard: "You loved the Autumn time 
your youth loved the Autumn, and I was yet 
a bud, too young and tender for flowers of 
blushing beauty to bloom and grow in splen- 
dor. So, like the Autumn, I sank into the 
distant forest, and there alone with the 
years, I became like the Autumn that I rev- 
eled in, and now I am Youth though I am 
Autumn. 

"Come," he said, and once again we 
walked in the garden of Spring, in its 
beauty, where the birds were singing and 
the roses were full blown. My life's long 
dream was Youth, and now I am Youth 
again. 

Again, we walked in the garden of Spring. 
Hovering about all the place was a cool mist, 
the air still and moist. The pink and purple 
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ROSE PETALS 

skies shed an opal haze over the landscape, 
the dew glistened on the tender petals of 
buds and flowers. Faintly, even the birds 
began to twitter. Twas morning, and night 
was opening sleepy eyes, with the shyness 
of laughing day smiling upon heavy lids, 
and like shadows hiding in every corner, so 
bright and luminous was the golden sun. 
We walked with the air of the early morn- 
ing blown about us, with birds and blossoms 
and all nature giving forth incense to all 
things that love our beautiful sunshine. 

Joy came into my soul. Again Youth was 
encircling my ethereal being. Again, with 
bared head and laughing eyes Youth 
searched my young heart; the bud had blos- 
somed into a full-blown rose, all blushing 
and fragrant. Youth and the Maiden 
looked down a pathway strewn with beauti- 
ful flowers. Love had entered the door of 
their souls. "Look," said the Maiden, "be- 
yond that pathway all decked with pink and 
white and green, there shines the bright lit- 
tle fairy Hope; and how beautiful is the 
Spring time of Life !" 

Autumn stood near also, her pathway 
strewn with bright scarlet and yellow leaves 
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ROSE PETALS 

and rich red fruit. "Look," he said, "beyond 
you can live in the sunlight of that dream. 
Eternity is shining with its vigilant fire of 
life, that glows and entrances as you tread 
the pathway, and so there is always Hope in 
Spring and also Hope in Autumn/' 



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